3 Ways To Use Mushrooms In Your Recipes

Mushrooms are one of the juiciest and tastiest foods in Mediterranean cuisine. These mushrooms  give the food a very pleasant taste and create distinctive textures. Below we will share a few ways you can use mushrooms.

For many years, mushrooms have been considered a luxury ingredient in international cuisine. Today, they are important foods in a balanced diet.

In addition to being low in calories, edible mushrooms offer several health benefits as they are an excellent source of vegetable protein.

Nutritional properties of mushrooms

Mushrooms have a unique taste and texture. They have traditionally been used as an alternative protein source in vegetarian diets. There are several varieties of cheap mushrooms on the market and they are usually available almost all year round as they are easy to grow.

• Mushrooms are rich in vitamins, such as A, C, D and E.
• In addition, they also contain fiber and vegetable proteins
• They provide many minerals, such as magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, iodine, potassium, calcium and zinc.

The following tips teach you ways to use mushrooms in recipes that are part of a healthy and tasty balanced diet.

3 ways to use mushrooms in your recipes

Mushrooms are very versatile foods that are used in hundreds of recipes. They can be combined with vegetables, cereals, meat, dairy products, flour, among others. When you add them to your recipes, you take advantage of their softness to add different textures to your dishes.

1. Risotto with mushrooms and spinach

Risotto is one of the most classic and versatile dishes, especially in Italian cuisine. To prepare a delicious risotto, all you need is rice, stock (or wine) and a lot of creativity. The mushrooms, cream, and dairy (especially the cheese and butter) really make this dish creamy.

Ingredients

• 200 g rice
• 30 g onion
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Dry white wine (to taste)
• 15 g butter
• 45 g olive oil
• 500 g spinach leaves
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 200 g mushrooms

Preparation

• First fry the onion until golden brown with the olive oil.
• Then add the rice. Keep stirring to avoid burning the ingredients.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Gradually add the white wine and let it reduce for 5 minutes.
• Then add the vegetable stock and let the rice boil.
• Fry the mushrooms and chopped spinach in a tablespoon of olive oil over high heat in another pan.
• Add the already cooked rice and the butter.
• Finally, serve with Parmesan (or any other cheese) and enjoy.

2. Creamy mushroom soup

And now it’s time for the second way to use mushrooms. This creamy mushroom soup is a practical and healthy recipe that is sure to please your taste buds.

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Dry white wine (to taste)
• 300 g mushrooms
• 50 g finely chopped leek
• 300 ml vegetable stock
• 30 g olive oil
• 45 g cream cheese (light)

Preparation

• Heat a frying pan with a little olive oil over a low heat.
• Fry the chopped leek and the whole mushrooms until tender (about 3 minutes). You can also add 2 tablespoons of dry white wine to it.
• Mix the fried mushrooms and leek with the vegetable stock and cream cheese in a blender.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Finally, serve the creamy soup with your desired garnish (such as delicious whole-wheat toast).

3. Whole-wheat pasta with mushrooms and cherry tomatoes

Pasta is a winner in the kitchen for its excellent ability to combine different ingredients and flavors. Below we share a whole wheat pasta recipe that is sure to surprise your friends and family.

Ingredients

• Grated cheese (to taste)
• 200 g mushrooms
• 150 g cherry tomatoes
• 60 g olive oil
• 30 g finely chopped onion
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• 300 g wholemeal pasta
• Fresh basil leaves (to garnish)

Preparation

• Boil the water you will be using to cook the pasta and prepare the pasta according to package directions.

• Then fry the mushrooms and onion in a frying pan over high heat.
• After the mushrooms and onions have turned golden brown, add the cherry tomatoes and remove the pan from the heat.
• The whole wheat pasta will now be ready. Drain it and put it back in the pan.
• Add the fried cherry tomatoes, onion and mushrooms and stir well.
• Finally, serve with grated cheese and enjoy.